Developing a new assessment tool in the area of sustainable development requires a strategic methodology for a cohesive and logical framework incorporating relevant theory and practical experience, building on a critical analysis of the state of the art. The assessment process implies the existence of tools, instruments, processes, and methodologies to measure performance in a consistent manner with respect to pre-established standards, guidelines, factors, or other criteria. Sustainability assessment practitioners have developed an increasing variety of tools. The present paper discusses a range of fundamental approaches, as well as specific and integrated strategies for sustainability assessment, as the foundation of a new rating system being developed for large industrial projects. Assessment methods identified by different schemes are also described. The focus then shifts onto environmental and sustainable rating systems, emphasizing the more popular tools. The present work is thus a review of the status of sustainability development and its different assessment tools: approaches, strategies, models, appraisals, and methodologies. This work also presents a description of the credit weighting tool used by the most popular sustainability and environmental rating systems.

SUMMARYA haptic interface is a computer-controlled mechanism designed to detect motion of a human operator without impeding that motion, and to feed back forces from a teleoperated robot or virtual environment. Design of such a device is not trivial, because of the many conflicting constraints the designer must face.As part of our research into haptics, we have developed a prototype planar mechanism. It has low apparent mass and damping, high structural stiffness, high force bandwidth, high force dynamic range, and an absence of mechanical singularities within its workspace. We present an analysis of the human-operator and mechanical constraints that apply to any such device, and propose methods for the evaluation of haptic interfaces. Our evaluation criteria are derived from the original task analysis, and are a first step towards a replicable methodology for comparing the performance of different devices.

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As large companies embrace and integrate the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) into their business practices, company personnel are expected to show actions that are connected to communicated corporate values and related policies. To enhance the likelihood that employees at the frontline level will accept these principles and become engaged with these values, it is in the firm's best interests to quantify and understand employee attitudes toward the social responsibility construct itself. The present work considers whether the variables of work climate perception, education level, and age directly influence one's social responsibility perspective at work, extending the Marz model to understand what may impact frontline CSR attitudes. A case study is presented, based on a survey of frontline personnel employed by a North American energy transportation company. This investigation uses an updated survey tool and method for polling a sample population. Survey development is described, analysis methods are explained, and results are presented with statistical measures to verify hypotheses related to employee engagement in CSR. Some potential implications of the results for corporate strategy are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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